Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-15
DAILY HERALD.
HORRIBLE AFF.-
AIR.
A Brute O.
.atrages,,a Little
Girl.
THE OFFICERS IN PURSUIT.
The Little Victim of the Fiend's
British Instincts in a Pre-
cariOus Condition.

One of the most horrible cases of
mans brutality ever recorded in this
county came to light yesterday after
noon when little Maggie Curtis was
brought to the city by Mrs, Jacob
Miller, suffering from the effects OF an
outrage committed by man named
Tom Gormlee on Wednesday night.
From the statements of the parties
concerned it appears that Mrs. Mary
Curtis who lives at No. 80 Jackson
street has been very unlucky with her
family. About two years ago she was
divorced from a man named Switzer
and since that time she has supported
herself and two children by sewing
and other hard labor. Some months
ago a man named Rev. DIR. Simey
attempted to abduct her son
and since the boys return he
has been suffering from asthma and is
under the Doctors care. Her little
girl Maggie, IL years old, has never
been very well and is not larger than
- child OF nine. Mrs. Curtis has been
renting her rooms of Mrs. Jacob Mil
Ter, who lives next door. Mr.. Miller
il engaged in mining for water in the
Santa Anita caiion, some three miles
from Lamanda Park. Some time ago
Mr.. Miller met Tom Gormlee ON the
street and he appeared to be willing
and anxious to work, so MIR. Miller
took him into the business as partner,
and since that time they have been at
work in the canon. Shortly after they
started to work Mrs. Miller and her
two children went to the camp and a
woman, supposed to be Mrs. CORN
lee, joined Gormlee. The two fam
lies occupied tents some distance
apart, and everything went
well until Monday last, when
Gormlee told Mr.. Miller that he must
come to the city on important bust
ness. He did not state what the busi-
ness was, but said it would not detain
him long. He came to the city and
ON Wednesday morning called on Mrs.
Curtis, who knew him to be Mr.. Mil
ler's partner and supposed him to be
an honest man. He said he was 90
isg back to camp that afternoon, and
Mrs. Curtis thinking that the camp
would be good place for little Mag
gle to spend her vacation and that she
might regain her health, proposed
that Gormlee take Maggie with him
to the camp. Gormlee consented and
after Mrs. Curtis had packed Maggie's IS
clothes they started. When Gormlee
and Maggie arrived at Lamanda Park
it was dark, and there were several
miles to walk through the night to
the tunnel where the camp was
located. They did not reach the camp
until about IL o'clock, when every one
was asleep. Gormlee, instead of wax
ing up the Millers, to whom the child
was sent, took her into his own tent
and put her in the same bed with
himself and the woman. Yesterday
morning Mrs. Miller arose and was
working about her tent when the wo-
man called Gormlee called out to her
that Maggie Curtis had arrived
at her tent the night before, but was
asleep. She said she would send the
child over as soon as she was awake.
That was the first that Mrs. Miller
knew of the child being at the camp
and she was glad to hear that Maggie
had come, since she would be good
company for her own children. Mrs.
Miller then went about her work get
ting breakfast for the campers and
shortly afterward her own child came i'm
and said that Maggie was awful sick
and described her condition, which
was terrible. Mrs. Miller ran over
to the Gormlee tent and found the
woman absent and little Maggie in
bed looking very pale, She asked
Maggie what the matter was, but the
child said she did not want to tell.
Mrs. Miller said that she must, and
Maggie said she was in dreadful pain
all over. She said that when she was
going from the station to the camr
the night before Gormlee threw
her down on the road and tying
her hands together, put his hand ovel
her mouth to prevent her from scream.
ing. He then ehoked her with his
other hand, and while in this helpless
condition he outraged her in horri
BILE manner. Then when he brought
her into camp and put her into bed
with the woman, he outraged her
again. The condition of the
child's clothing shows how hor.
rible the crime was, and when
Mrs. Miller lifted her up she found
there unmistakable evidence that she
had also been outraged in the bed as
the child had said. The Gomrlee
woman had taken Maggie's outer gar
ments out and had washed the stains
out of them but had evidently forgot
the underclothing which remained
to tell the tale of the suffer
ing which the child must
have undergone. Mrs. Miller took
the child to her tent and then started
to where Gormlee was working and
asked him what he had done. He
denied that he had done anything to
Maggie, and Mrs. Miller went to find
her husband. When she found him
he told her that Gormlee had told
him that he was tired OF work
and intended to quit. They
then started to where Gormlee
had been working but found
him gone. They saw him running
about a half mile away and chased
him until he disappeared. Then Mrs.
Miller returned to the camp and
brought Maggie to her mother in this
city yesterday afternoon. Mrs. Curtis
went to JUSTICE Taney and swore out a
warrant for Gormlee's arrest, and this
was placed in the hands
Of Officer Bosqui, who start
ed in pursuit OF the villain as
soon as he received it. A HERALD
representative called on Mrs. Curtis
last evening, and found Maggie asleep
in bed. She was very feverish, and
from the delicate appearance of her
features, she must have suffered a
great deal of pain. Her mother said
her eyes were bloodshot from having
been choked the night before,
but said that it was impossi-